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Roofer kneeling on underlayment driving nails with a nail gun

Home / Roofers / District of Columbia

How to become a roofer in District of Columbia

Most roofers in District of Columbia start in an apprenticeship or a helper job and learn on the job. The contractor license comes later, if you run your own business.

$29.69median an hour in District of Columbia

Pick your way in

Apprenticeship

Earn while you learn

A program hires you, pays you on the job and runs your classes.

Pay
From day one
In DC
Programs in nearby states
Find a program near you
Trade school

Classroom first

Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.

Pay
You pay tuition
In DC
Community colleges nearby
Trade schools in District of Columbia
Helper

Start on a crew

Get hired as a helper by a licensed roofing contractor and log hours on the job.

Pay
Paid on the job
Start
No experience needed
How to get started

The license steps

  1. Get hired or start training

    Join a registered apprenticeship, take a trade school program, or work as a helper for a licensed contractor.

    Compare the ways in
  2. Work as a roofer

    Median pay in District of Columbia is $29.69 an hour.

    Roofer pay in District of Columbia
  3. Run your own shop

    To bid and contract on your own you need a roofing contractor license or registration.

    Issued by
    Dept of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) - Business Licensing
    District of Columbia contractor license
Pay once you're working

$61,750

a year is the median for roofers in District of Columbia ($29.69 an hour, May 2025).3

Pay by city and percentile

Questions

Do you need a license to work on your own as a roofer in District of Columbia?

Check the Dept of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) before you bid work on your own.1

Are roofers in demand in District of Columbia?

Projections Central expects about 10 roofer openings a year in District of Columbia through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.2

Next step

Find an apprenticeship near you

Programs near District of Columbia, what they ask for and how to apply.

Find a program

More for roofers in District of Columbia

Sources

  1. Dept of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) - Business Licensing (dlcp.dc.gov)
  2. Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
  3. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, District of Columbia, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)